You can now download DRM-free Steam games with GOG Connect

For some gamers, having games that are free of DRM (Digital Rights Management) can be very important, and Good Old Games (GOG) is working on making things easier for consumers in that regard.

GOG has just launched GOG Connect, a new feature that will allow gamers to re-download DRM-free games from their Steam library.

GOG has partnered with Deep Silver, Harebrained Schemes, Jonathan Blow’s Number None, TaleWorlds, as well as other publishers to bring the following games to its cross-buy portfolio.

Bit Trip Runner

Braid

Breach & Clear

Breach & Clear: Deadline

Broken Sword: Director’s Cut

FTL: Faster Than Light

Galactic Civilizations III

Mount & Blade

Project Zomboid

Saints Row 2

Shadowrun Returns

Sherlock Holmes: Secrets of the Silver Earring

Surgeon Simulator 2013

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing: Final Cut

The Witcher: Enhanced Edition

The Witness

To The Moon

Trine: Enhanced Edition

Two Worlds

Unreal Gold

Unreal Tournament GOTY

VVVVVV

Xenonauts

Unfortunately, these games, and future games that are to be added, will not stick around forever. This means that gamers will have to keep a close eye on which games pop up on GOG Connect.

The point of DRM in games is to prevent pirates from stealing them. The problem is that pirates usually find a way around it and it usually ends up hurting legitimate buyers. For example, The Sims 3 had a debacle in which legitimately purchased copies of the game could only be installed up to three times, even when on the same computer. Others claim that anti-piracy measures, like Denuvo DRM, hurt the performance of games like Batman: Arkham Knight, although Denuvo refutes this.

Regardless, the main pain point is that DRM also requires a constant internet connection, which can be difficult for some. GOG was initially launched as a platform to allow legacy video games to be played on modern hardware, minus DRM restrictions. It soon became a champion of anti-DRM, and all games released on the platform are like buying Xbox games from brick-and-mortar retail: once you buy it, you can do with it as you please.

GOG is great for consumers, and should help prevent gamers from having to buy a game twice just so that they can play it on a plane.